28 Dainichi-ji

Dainichi-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple in the city of Kōnan, Kōchi Prefecture, designated as station 28 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage — one of Japan's most revered Buddhist circuits, linking 88 temples across Shikoku island. The route is dedicated to the monk Kūkai (Kōbō-Daishi), founder of the Shingon school in the 9th century, and pilgrims traditionally walk its roughly 1,200 kilometres wearing white robes and carrying a wooden staff. Unlike the more touristed temples on the circuit, Dainichi-ji retains a quiet, working atmosphere where henro pilgrims arrive daily to receive their temple stamp. For visitors engaging with the wider pilgrimage route, it offers an understated but genuine encounter with a centuries-old living tradition.